Taliban fighters attacked checkpoints in northern and southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing 16 members of the Afghan National police. Eight policemen were killed before dawn when militants targeted a checkpoint in the northern province of Baghlan. At about the same time, Taliban fighters attacked another outpost in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, killing another eight policemen, the Interior Ministry said. Two militants were killed and another was wounded in the Baghlan attack, deputy provincial police chief Zalmai Mangal. Baghlan Gov. Mohammad Akbar Barakzai said the policemen were providing security on the main road through the province. In Lashkar Gah, provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi said the attack occurred before dawn, according to a report of the Associated Press. --SPA
